We originally brewed Halcyon as our first summer seasonal, but since all the Halcyon fans (a.k.a: kiteheads) asked so nicely, we now brew this magical brew year around. Besides, who doesn't want a little taste of summer on a dark winter night?

We are proud of all our beers, but Halcyon is special. We are in “the wheat state” after all, so the pressure was on us to make a wheat beer, but we knew it had to be great. Halcyon Unfiltered Wheat is the result of that Midwestern angst, an all-American wheat with real Kansas-grown grain in the brew.

We start with raw Kansas white wheat in the mix to give it a nice edge, but what really makes it shine is the hops. We use “hop-bursting” late in the brewing process and this gives Halcyon its palate of tropical fruit flavors & aromas with a bright and refreshing taste like the best days of summer.

Translucent golden yellow, with swirls of sediment settling to the bottom, like tails rotating out of a summer wall cloud. Lends some opaqueness, while a thin white head leaves slight rings behind.

A lightly-hopped wheat on the nose, with both being apparent, but relatively subtle. Allusions to lemon there as well.

Wheat, but with a green hoppy twist - very fresh, almost to the point of needing a little more time to mellow out. With a bit of citrus, tastes like a near harvest wheat field smells - grassy, bready, but still with hints of its previous greenery.

Good carbonation and more body than you might expect in the mouth, closing crisply. A good summertime wheat beer.

Good, but not great. Happy for the folks at Tallgrass, as they continue to produce quality beers. (854 characters)

Nice hop aroma. There's the lemony zesty smells from the wheat, but very light when compared to the sharper citrus and slight pine from the hops.

Taste is a nice refreshing lemon (not as in your face as most American wheats) that mellows nicely into a well done floral and citrus hop flavor. Good wheat malt balance the beer out nicely.

I am really impressed with this offering from Tallgrass. I would like to do a side by side tasting with gumballhead.. it'd be very close. All the flavors are very well balanced. An amazing beer for hot days. Lots of flavor and creamy body that's still light and refreshing. (742 characters)

Pours a typical, slightly hazy, sunshine golden summer yellow smiley face color. Two thick fingers of white head sit on top, on a gentle pour, and take their dear, sweet time going away. Excellent retention and lacing.

Aromas of fresh-baked bread and an unexpected bubblegum ester profile are the stars of Halcyon's nose. There's a slight touch of lemon, but this is nowhere near as zippy as most American Pale Wheats are. Instead, this is a creamy brew; it smells creamy, if that makes any sense (similar to the way that a California Chardonnay smells creamy and buttery, I suppose, only there's no oak involved in the making of Halcyon). There's a nice hop presence that lends some citrus zest and some essential oils of tropical fruits. The aroma profile is quite lovely, I just wish that it was more intense. This isn't a refined nose so much as it is just plain muted in ways. It's still plenty good, but some more concentration would help.

Wheat malt without the lemon is rare in American Pale Wheats. Halcyon manages to achieve it. It tastes so much like wheat bread and so little like the tangy lemony flavors that characterize such APWAs as Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat. In addition to the wheat bread abundance is a very strong, German-like ester flavor of bubblegum. There's a musted hop presence here that has a strong impact on the flavor profile. That doesn't make much sense does it? Well, the hop flavors aren't all that strong. But the distant tropical fruit notes are the essential glue that brightens up the whole package. Halcyon makes me mix metaphors like a mother.

For the style, Halcyon has a VERY thick body. This is easily the most creamy American Pale Wheat I've ever had. Despite this, the carbonation level is on-point. Impressive. Overall, this is a unique take on the style that is very worthy of competing with the big dogs of the style. An interesting session choice that is equally at home when enjoyed out of a glass or swigged out of the can at a cookout. (2,031 characters)

I love the aroma on this so much. I don't know if it's the hops(s) they used or what, but it has this wonderful freshness about it. Hop notes are herbal, lemon, and bubble gum.

Taste is equally outstanding. Its so nicely balanced and a perfect texture. The wheat plays a light note flavor wise but adds a lovely softness. Otherwise the malts are just clean, smooth, and light, letting the perfect level of hops to cut through. It has a nice complex finish with a slight mineral bite coupled with lemon bitter hops and biscuit sweet malts. All this flavor yet it's so sessionable. It really doesn't come across as a wheat beer...more of a hop-forward ale with a touch of wheat.

I will be drinking this all spring and summer if it stays on the shelves. My first beer by Tallgrass and it really impressed me. Looking forward to trying more!

Update: Found out they use Citra hops, which I believe adds a lot of character to this beer. There's another hop also, but I will need to look that up as I can't recall off the top of my head. Got this info from an info card they gave out at the Kansas Sampler Festival. (1,171 characters)

I was disappointed that Tallgrass discontinued their last wheat offering, so I was happy to try this when a friend offered to let me "help" him sample some.

Appearance: The 12oz. can was poured into a pint glass. The color is a light gold - pretty close to the yellow on the can. Despite it being unfiltered, their was only minimal cloudiness even after I swirled the last part of the can. A good white head appeared initially but didn't last for long.

Smell: The overarching aroma is of the hops, with some mild fruitiness in the background. I didn't pick up on much of the wheat odor that I usually associate with the style.

Taste: This is a good beer. There is a pretty assertive hoppiness but it is balanced overall. What doesn't come out well is the yeast taste - it seems toned down to the point of fading behind the hops. The beer could almost pass as a pale ale.

Moutfeel: Generally light but with a little more body than some wheats.

Overall: Quite a pleasant beer but not one that I would grab if I was craving classic wheat flavor. (1,047 characters)

Clouded gold with an orange glow. White foam initially forms to an inch thick mat but drops down to small spots of bubbles after some time.

Mostly juicy citrus and tropical fruits abound with pineapple, lemon zest and juice, and mango. At times it seems pretty explosively hoppy (for the style), though a smooth bitterness keeps it pretty tame. A powdered chalk, crushed aspirin character rears its head as it warms closer to room temperature and the wheat malt backbone does little to hold it off.

An interesting take on the style and the two sixers I bought went pretty fast. The chalkiness is the biggest downfall and makes this one more pleasing at cooler/cold temperatures. (680 characters)

Poured from a can into a hefewissen glass. Pours w/ a very nice 3 fingers white head & the lacing is fantastic! Head retention is good throughout the drink. Burnt orange in color & almost yellowish @ the bottom & dark orange just below the head. I have to admit, this goes fantastic this time of year w/ grilling. Drank this in my backyard w/ kids playing outside around 6pm on a perfect Sunday evening.

The nose comes out very much of cloves & pepper. Has a faint banana smell but it's very much a supporting character in the beginning of the drink. The first gulp is yeasty & peppery. Pretty typical of a wheat beer but has more body than some others I've tried (Boulevard). Cloves come out of this beer throughout the drink. As it comes alive (warms up), more of the bubblegum notes come out.

This is a medium bodied beer that isn't quite like your traditional German wheat beer. Really good though. Overall, I'd say that drinkability is ok. Almost a session beer. I'd like to smell & taste more bubblegum in this & banana too. Pretty good American version of an unfiltered wheat beer. Prosit! (1,100 characters)

Just finishing my first six-pack of this stuff, so I figured it'd be a good time to write my first review. (I got another one before I could run out, so you know I like the stuff.)

A: Cloudy golden-brown with a finger and a half of white head. Usually leaves a lot of lace. In my first five cans, I noticed no visible yeast, but in this last one, I've got some sediment on the bottom. No complaints from me, though.

S: Smells a lot like bread dough with its yeasty character. Also has some hoppy citrus and bananas in the nose.

T: Dammit, I'm loving the taste of this beer. A little bit fruity (bananas and citrus) and a little bit hoppy, but not at all too much for a fledgling beer drinker like myself. Somewhat sweet. Reminds me of my mom's homemade bread with the yeast and wheat flavor. Might be the hometown bias, but this is just a great beer to me.

M: Smooth, a little creamy, but finishes clean. Really refreshing.

O: Wow, I'm only paying $6.56 for a six-pack of this stuff? Jesus, I'll pay that anyday. I'm gonna miss it in the fall. (1,049 characters)

12 oz can poured into a weissbier glass. Solid two fingers of dusty white head caps the surface. As the foam recedes, spots speckle the glass. Body color is a hazy golden orange. The glass is illuminated when held to the light, but I can't see through the glass.

Smell has a sweet banana and mango fruitiness. There is a fresh bread dough character, slightly yeasty. Taste has quite a lot of the banana esters, but it is not overpowering. There is a secondary lemon flavor that cleans up nicely. There is a faint peppery tingle that comes in at the very end.

Mouthfeel is a little heavier than most Pale Wheat Ales. This seems to fall some where in the middle between a Wheat Ale and a Hefeweizen. There is a mild creaminess in the texture, but is not filling like a lot of Hefeweizens can be. I'm liking this beer more and more. (831 characters)

T - Some lemon and orange notes. Alot of hop flavors here. Just the right amount of wheat malt at the end. I love this beer because it doesn't taste like they took tons of fruit zest and piled it in for the lemon/orange flavors, it tastes like it comes from the natural flavors of the hops.

M - Light and carbonated, just like the style demands

This beer is awesome. Light and refreshing, perfect for a Summer seasonal. Very excited for more of this! (819 characters)